1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power connector, and particularly to a power receptacle connector having improved contacts for reliably and stably engaging with a power plug connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Power connectors are widely used in electronic devices to transmit electrical power to the devices. Such power connectors are disclosed in Taiwan pat. No. 449,135, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,702,707, 5,376,012 and 6,190,215. Please refer to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, Taiwan Pat. No. 449,135 discloses a power connector 9 which mates with a complementary connector 97 having two columnar contacts 95 and 96, acting as a positive contact and a negative contact respectively. The power connector 9 includes a dielectric housing 90, a U-shaped stationary switch contact 92 locating at a rear end of the housing 90, a moveable switch contact 93 extending along a lateral side of the housing 90, a conductive pin 91 longitudinally accommodated in the housing 90, and a metal spring member 94 secured at an underside of the housing 90. The inner contact 96 of the complementary connector 97 locates in a core of the outer contact 95. An outer surface of the conductive pin 91 of the power connector 9 contacts an inner mating surface of the inner contact 96. If the contact between the conductive pin 91 and the inner contact 96 is too loose, a reliable power transmission cannot be assured. If the contact between the conductive pin 91 and the inner contact 96 is too tight, the pin 91 and contact 96 are easily damaged after repeated mating/unmating of the connectors 9, 97. The moveable switch contact 93 and the metal spring member 94 contact the outer contact 95 in mutually perpendicular directions, whereby a force is acting on the outer contact 95, which may result a deviation of the outer contact 95 from its original position. When this happens, a reliable power transmission between the connectors 9, 97 can no longer be obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,215 discloses a contact which mates with a male pin contact of any desired length. Mating portions of the contact are beam-shaped and are integrally stamped with soldering portions from a metal blank. The contact disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,215 can resolve the problem caused by the removable switch contact 93 and the metal spring member 94 of the connector of Taiwan Pat. No. 449,135. However, the shortage of the contact between the conductive pin 91 and the columnar inner contact 96 is still not improved.
Hence, a power connector having improved contacts is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a power receptacle connector having improved contacts for reliably and stably engaging with a power plug connector.
A power connector comprises an insulative housing, a first conductive contac and a second conductive contact. The insulative housing includes a receiving space defined rearwardly from a front surface of the insulative housing and an inner portion extending from a rear wall of the housing and bounded on its the receiving space. Each of the first and second contacts comprises a main body assembled in the rear wall of the housing, and a plurality of mating portions integrally formed with the main body adapted for engaging with a contact of a mating connector. The mating portions are assembled in the housing and are partly exposed in the receiving space. The mating portions of the first conductive contac are arranged on an outer circle, and the mating portions of the second conductive contact are arranged on an inner circle inside the outer circle.